Our Diocese
UK, Europe & Africa Diocese
Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church
UK, Europe & Africa Diocese
The Diocese of UK-Europe and Africa was established to encompass all Parishes, Congregations, and Spiritual Organizations of the Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Syrian Church across the geographic regions of Europe and Africa. It is one of the 30 dioceses under the Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Syrian Church, with its spiritual center at the Catholicate Palace (Devalokam Aramana), located in the historic city of Kottayam in Kerala, India.
The Diocese of UK-Europe and Africa comprises 41 Parishes spread across 10 countries in Europe and Africa, with numerous Congregations in various locations. Its headquarters is based in Swindon, a town in the southwest of England in the United Kingdom.
Our Metropolitans
H. G. Abraham Mar Stephanos
DIOCESAN METROPOLITAN OF UK, EUROPE & AFRICA
His Grace Abraham Mar Stephanos was born on June 11 to the late Mr. K. A. Thomas and Mrs. Annamma, of Kadakkamannil House in Mylapra, Pathanamthitta. He is a member of the St. George Orthodox Church (Valiyapalli), Mylapra, part of the Thumpamon diocese.
For his primary education, His Grace attended Seventh Day Adventist School in Pathanamthitta from 1974 to 1978, then Marthoma High School from 1978 to 1984. He pursued his Pre-Degree studies from 1984 to 1986 and then obtained a degree in Mathematics from Catholicate College, Pathanamthitta, in 1989. He later attended Kottayam Old Seminary from 1995 to 1999, earning his BD and GST degrees. In addition, he completed his M.Th from FFRRC between 2000 and 2002 and obtained an MA in Late Antiquity and Byzantine Studies from Kings College, London.
His Grace was ordained as a sub-deacon in 1998 by H.G. Kuriakose Mar Clemis Metropolitan at Mar Basil Dayara, Pathanamthitta, and later as a deacon in 1999 by the late H.H. Baselios Mar Thoma Mathews II Catholicos at St. Thomas Chapel in Old Seminary, Kottayam. He was ordained as a priest on April 8, 2000, by H.G. Kuriakose Mar Clemis Metropolitan at St. George Orthodox Church, Mylapra.
On February 25, 2022, His Grace was selected as a Metropolitan during the Malankara Syrian Christian Association meeting in Kolencherry. He became a Ramban at Parumala Seminary on June 2, 2022, and was ordained as a Metropolitan by H.H. Baselios Mar Thoma Mathews III Catholicos at St. Mary’s Cathedral, Pazhanji, on July 28, 2022.
Since November 3, 2022, His Grace has been serving as the Metropolitan for the UK, Europe, and Africa dioceses.
His Grace Dr Mathews Mar Thimothios
DIOCESAN METROPOLITAN (2009 - 2022)
H.G. Dr. Mathews Mar Thimothios served as the Metropolitan of the Diocese of UK-Europe and Africa for the Malankara (Indian) Orthodox Syrian Church from May 2009 to November 2022. He was appointed to this role in May 2009 following the passing of the late L.L. Thomas Mar Makarios, who had previously overseen the Diocese of Canada, UK, and Europe.
Mar Thimothios began his theological journey at the Orthodox Theological Seminary in Kottayam, where he earned a Graduate in Sacred Theology (GST) and a Bachelor in Divinity (BD) from the Senate of Serampore. He continued his studies by pursuing a Master’s in Theology (M.Th.) with a focus on the Old Testament at the Federated Faculty of Research in Religion and Cultural Studies (FFRRC) under the Senate of Serampore. His Grace also achieved a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Institute in Rome and a Diploma in Biblical Archaeology from the Pontifical Bible Institute in Jerusalem. In 2001, he earned a Doctoral Degree in Old Testament from the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome.
Dr. Mathews Mar Thimothios currently serves as a visiting professor at the Kottayam Orthodox Theological Seminary, specializing in Biblical Studies, with an emphasis on the Old Testament. His linguistic skills are extensive, with proficiency in Italian, French, German, Aramaic, and Hebrew.
Late Lamented His Grace Dr Thomas Mar Makarios
METROPOLITAN BISHOP
His Grace Dr. Thomas Mar Makarios, a prominent Metropolitan of the Indian Orthodox Church, was born on May 26, 1926, in Kerala, India, to Mr. Chacko and Mrs. Mariamma Kuttikandathil. He pursued his early education in Kerala before deciding to further his studies in theology at the Orthodox Theological Seminary in Kottayam. His theological journey extended beyond India, leading him to religious institutions in England, Germany, Switzerland, and France.
He moved to the United States in 1963, where he earned a Bachelor of Divinity from Nashota House in Wisconsin, a Master’s of Sacred Theology from Virginia Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate in Theology from Union Theological Seminary in Richmond. His education and devotion to the Church led to his ordination as a priest in 1952 by His Holiness Catholicos Geevarghese Baselios I. After his ordination, he became the first Vicar of the Indian Orthodox Church in New Delhi.
In 1975, His Holiness Catholicos Augen I consecrated Fr. Thomas as Metropolitan, granting him the ecclesiastical name Thomas Mar Makarios. That same year, he was appointed the first Metropolitan of the Bombay Diocese. His responsibilities expanded in 1979 when he became the first Metropolitan of the American Diocese of the Indian Orthodox Church. Since 1985, he shared his religious knowledge as a teacher at Alma College in Michigan, where he taught religion classes. In 1990, Alma College honored him with the degree of Doctor of Divinity Honoris Causa.
Sadly, His Grace Dr. Thomas Mar Makarios passed away on February 23, 2008, following a tragic car accident in January 2008 during his archpastoral visit to the United Kingdom. His legacy endures through his significant contributions to the growth of the Indian Orthodox Church and his teachings that continue to inspire many.